When the recruiter contacted me, she sent me the job description which said I will spend 70% of my time doing development work and 30% of my time doing testing work. As a matter of fact, I spend 80% of my time creating test data using Excel and 20% of my time figuring out how to work around some internal tools.
Before going to interview, they sent me some information about SDET in Microsoft and let me thought that SDET is a position to write testing framework and that there will be testers to perform testing.
During interview, they asked Java/SQL questions and I thought I probably will write Java/SQL. But in day-to-day work, I don't even get assigned to write SQL because I am a SDET in FINRA AKA Tester. (They don't have Tester in FINRA. SDET IS TESTER) During interview, I asked is there any difference between SDET and Tester; they said SDET will do both development and testing work. In reality, if you are proactive and lucky enough, you will spend 5% of your time to work on testing framework. I am basically a SQL tester in FINRA.
Once I got into the company, I spent a week to work on a 4-year-old / out-dated orientation documents. There was no useful onboard training and on boarding can be really painful for some of the new hires.
It is almost impossible to internally transfer to other groups or roles, though they say you can always switch to another group or roles during interview. That is not the truth. I have already worked as a tester for 3 years and talked with them a couple of times but I don't see any sign that they will convert me to real development role.
They place developers in testing positions and call them SDETs. SDET in FINRA is not real SDET. If you are a developer. DON'T GO TO THEIR SDET POSITION. CAREER DEAD END FOR DEVELOPER.
